To lead League 1, what a team has to do

[Twizzle]

Having watched several matches now of games featuring us, and other contests, it occurs to me that this is going to be quite a tough season to stand out in.
We will consistently have to edge games, opposing defenses are miserly, teams look difficult to break down and give little room to move or create in.
Brighton actually look generous in front of our goal area, and I sometimes wonder what happened to individually skilled players, close dribbling ball skills are rarely seen now. It could be that The Albion need to just find a formation and 1st team squad that suits, and generally 'gel' (starting to dislike that word).
Even in the heydays of Lawrenson/Ward/Horton and great exciting matches every week - I recall even then we'd have it tight at the top of our division and not be running away with the championship or anything.
Withdean does seem to hamstring us for some reason, it's no fortress like it's been called before.

Am I being pessimistic, or what are our chances this campaign?
How do you see us doing? Will we get impetus late in the season, or can we get our noses in front sooner than that?

 

[Sam Ovett]

We'll storm it

 

[waleseagull]

With Sparrow,Brez and Greer back, Lua to come in along with Sandaza and bridcutt both the team and bench look very strong maybe another free agent to cover at the back and i think we will be top six at least.:albion1:

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Our best and only hope is that the goals are starting to ping in from all over the field. Bennett will be our top scorer. If we can nick a play-off place then its all up for grabs. Though nicking a play-off place looks a tall order at the moment. A slightly improved mid-table place looks by far the likelier outcome. IMHO, like.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Way too early to say. But I'm not convinced the league is as strong as people claim it is. Folk were rattling off names like Soton, Charlton, Huddersfield and Sheff Wed but for seemingly no other reason than they are name teams. They're in L1 for a reason...and it is not because they are good. And none seem to have paid for many players over the summer.

(cue someone bouncing this on the final day of the season when we finish 5th behind Soton, Charlton, Huddersfield and Sheff Wed)

 

[Napper]

We all know what Lua Lua brings so for me if one of these strikers are the business then we have a really good chance of the play offs.

We'll need better luck than we've had so far though

 

[Foolg]

Way too early to say. But I'm not convinced the league is as strong as people claim it is. Folk were rattling off names like Soton, Charlton, Huddersfield and Sheff Wed but for seemingly no other reason than they are name teams. They're in L1 for a reason...and it is not because they are good. And none seem to have paid for many players over the summer.

(cue someone bouncing this on the final day of the season when we finish 5th behind Soton, Charlton, Huddersfield and Sheff Wed)

All of those teams on there day can be beaten, Southampton last season for example, because we could deal with the long ball football they tried to play but they probably werent used to passing football too often in this league, Brentford did that today as well.
But im afraid i have to disagree with the idea that people are rattling on about the "name teams" for that reason only. Huddersfield have a very good squad, the likes of Garner, Rhodes, Novak, Robinson could easily get 15+ (Rhodes 20+), and thats backed up by the likes of Smithies, Roberts etc. Charlton have lost a few players, but still have a strong squad, likewise with Sheffield Wednesday where you know Mellor, Morrison and Tudgay will score goals. As for Southampton, you cant doubt the quality is there for them to be favourites, but whether or not a manager can get them to work as a team is another question.

 

[Notters]

With Sparrow,Brez and Greer back, Lua to come in along with Sandaza and bridcutt both the team and bench look very strong maybe another free agent to cover at the back and i think we will be top six at least.:albion1:

Are you Wale seagull or Wales eagull

Have to sayi agree wholeheartedly with TCB on this, we have nothing to fear.

 

[Steve Foster]

Too early days to see whether we will be competing for the top spots. I am just after improving from last season, picking up points each game & then we will be there or thereabouts.

We haven't kept a clean sheet yet, that worries me. If we concede first then I don't see us scoring two goals. However, with key players coming back & the new signings hopefully we can step up a gear.

MK Dons on Saturday will be a good judge to see how far we have come.
1 point a minimum but expecting 3.

 

[severnside gull]

Sheffield Wed are very boring and dodgy at the back. They'll only be involved in the top six as they have the division's stand-out player in Tudgay I think.

Southampton are the most overrated thing since Dean Hammond played for the Albion. Spot the link. Basically, at no point since they left would I have had Harding or Hammond in the Albion team, as I think they're both turd. For Southampton they seem to be key players, which says a lot about their overall quality. I also think Lambert will go backwards soon, as he really hasn't got the talent to maintain the good record of recent years.

Charlton - joke, not even worth considering.

Peterborough - one of the few teams with more than one reliable goalscorer so they should do ok, but last season and results so far suggest to me they have weaknesses elsewhere on the pitch.

Huddersfield - they're the team other than us that I am tipping. They have goals, seem to play ok football and a great home record which by itself will get them 3/4 of the way there.

Us - play better football than anyone else, will create chances, have the best manager, but the one massive problem I foresee is the goalkeeping issue. Simply, I don't think whoever we choose is good enough and will cost us points. Hopefully the rest is good enough to overcome that.

well done.

really.

it took you until your final few lines to have your normal, bigotted, very dull, and in the majority's opinion unjustified, dig.

how long before you relocate to crawley?


...................................................................please

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

All of those teams on there day can be beaten, Southampton last season for example, because we could deal with the long ball football they tried to play but they probably werent used to passing football too often in this league, Brentford did that today as well.
But im afraid i have to disagree with the idea that people are rattling on about the "name teams" for that reason only. Huddersfield have a very good squad, the likes of Garner, Rhodes, Novak, Robinson could easily get 15+ (Rhodes 20+), and thats backed up by the likes of Smithies, Roberts etc. Charlton have lost a few players, but still have a strong squad, likewise with Sheffield Wednesday where you know Mellor, Morrison and Tudgay will score goals. As for Southampton, you cant doubt the quality is there for them to be favourites, but whether or not a manager can get them to work as a team is another question.

Fair enough, you make some valid points. I'm not writing all of them off, I'm sure at least one will come good. But I'll stick to what I have suggested which is that I'm not convinced the league is as strong as is suggested and lets see at the end of the season....or maybe sooner.

 

[Napper]

Albion 12 / 1 5th favourites now

 

[Richy_Seagull]

well done.

really.

it took you until your final few lines to have your normal, bigotted, very dull, and in the majority's opinion unjustified, dig.

how long before you relocate to crawley?


...................................................................please

don't talk rubbish. He has just basically summed up saying we are one of the better teams in the league and pointed out what he considers a weakness. (a weakness who has already cost us 2 points this season)

Talk about over-reacting......

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

Another Saturday has passed and again NO POINTS for the Albion,
Once again history repeats itself,today,with Brentford winning away at Sheffield Utd We find ourselves DRAGGED back into a RELEGATION DOG FIGHT.
If Boom has any balls He will sack Puyol TONIGHT

 

[Foolg]

Fair enough, you make some valid points. I'm not writing all of them off, I'm sure at least one will come good. But I'll stick to what I have suggested which is that I'm not convinced the league is as strong as is suggested and lets see at the end of the season....or maybe sooner.

The way i see it, is that last year we had 2 teams (Leeds and Norwich) that were a fair distance ahead of most other sides. I know it didnt work out like that with Leeds almost f***ing it up, but it to me seemed like it was easier to get a play-off place last season than it was this, because apart from those two most teams were equal. This season, with the sides coming up and down, it seems like there are about 6/7 sides that could all win the league, including Us, Southampton, Wednesday, Peterborough, Hudders, Charlton, Plymouth and possibly Swindon. With Southampton seemingly making a hash of it like Leeds did, any of those sides could win the league, but i cant see anyone walking away with it like last year.
At the moment, i think we'll challenge for the play-offs, POSSIBLY just lacking a star man to take us to the top two (Holt, Lambert, Maclean, Boyd etc)

 

[n1 gull]

I agree with the goalkeeping issue. I'm not convinced at all. I think Murray will shine with new competition up front and Lua Lua is undoubtably a big bonus. I think MK next week will be a real test and I'll have a better idea after next Saturday. The Plymouth game being cancelled was a real bonus and I'm sure that the team will have had a bit more time to 'gel' (that f*cking phrase again) but teams like Brentford aren't mugs and I think it will be a long tough season, but I will be gutted if we don't make the playoffs at least

 

[Horsham Gull]

Swindon..........oh wait they holding the division up currently